Today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. In honor of that, CatholicVote.org rolled out a new ad campaign focusing on life. As our blogger Danielle Bean notes, it’s about saving the Earth, Catholic style.

That’s not the only recent life-affirming news. The University of Notre Dame released a statement about its commitment to defending life at all stages and the principles for doing so: “Consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church on such issues as abortion, research involving human embryos, euthanasia, the death penalty, and other related life issues, the University of Notre Dame recognizes and upholds the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.”

This was in response to recommendations the university’s new Task Force on Supporting the Choice for Life made to Notre Dame’s president, Father John Jenkins — and a sign of hope for life after last year’s commencement proceedings.

“The statement articulates what always has been the case: that Notre Dame fully embraces Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life,” Father Jenkins said. “The new principles provide standards for the university and its representatives in making determinations on giving in a way consonant with our beliefs.”

This adds to the good work being done by the Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life and other pro-life endeavors on that campus.

There may still be last night’s “American Idol” special, which gave back to pro-abortion charities.

But the good is outweighing the bad lately.

Like this incredible development: By a 44-5 vote, the Nebraska Legislature passed the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which Register correspondent Steve Weatherbe will be reporting on in “Register Exclusives.” The law will take effect on Oct. 15.

“By 20 weeks after fertilization, unborn children have pain receptors throughout their body, and nerves link these to the brain,” said Mary Spaulding Balch, National Right to Life’s director of state legislation. “These unborn children recoil from painful stimulation, which also dramatically increases their release of stress hormones. Doctors performing fetal surgery at and after 20 weeks now routinely use fetal anesthesia.”

And there’s this too: iTunes has this pregnancy calendar.

 

We’ll keeping looking for signs of life. How about you?